Winter's Change
by yellow 14
Summary: As Christmas grows closer under the Carrows, two people begin something new. Written for the Chaser 2 position for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition Round 13. Also written for the Non-Canon Pairing Challenge by hiddlestons.


Disclaimer: Well you know the drill by now.

AN: Written for the Chaser 2 position for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition Round 13. Also written for the Non-Canon Pairing Challenge by hiddlestons.

It began one cold December evening. Snow was already beginning to fall and there was a sense of Christmas in the air that even the presence of the Carrows and Professor Snape couldn't completely squash.

Of course, some people viewed the presence of snow as a blessing in ways that was far from traditional. And they were certainly far from the traditional uses that Hogwarts students used snow for.

In the case of Neville Longbottom, they were extremely good for soothing the injuries he had received from the latest batch of detentions. The snow was cold and cool and it numbed the pain his throbbing marks when he pressed it against them.

"You know Longbottom, it would probably be easier to simply avoid shouting stupid things out at the Carrows," an unfamiliar girl's voice said to him and he wheeled around angrily to face the voice's owner.

"I didn't get detention for saying anything!" he spat angrily and his eyes briefly rested on the girl who had spoken. Petite, blond and green marked robes, his eyes narrowed. "I got caught out after curfew. So go and tell your little snake friends that the Carrows had a new excuse to punish a Gryffind-"

"I wasn't here to brag," the girl said to him, cutting him off mid-word. "It's just meant to look that way."

"Just meant to loo-"

The girl angrily pulled out her wand and pointed it at Neville's face. There was a scowl of annoyance on her face and her eyes danced with the kind of passion rarely seen outside the Gryffindor tower these days.

"Yes, it's just meant to look that way. Now will you shut up and let me finish bloody well talking. Or are you Gryffindor's just permanently stupid?" she snapped, her face flushed with emotion. "I know that you're pretty high up in Dumbledore's Army, if not the leader and I know you have some clout," she paused for a moment, before continuing. "I need your help."

"But you're a Slytherin!" Neville protested. "Snape and the Carrows love your house. Your house is the one that dominates Hogwarts now! Why would you need ou-my help?"

The girl gave him a grim chuckle and for the first time since their conversation had started, Neville could see marks on her skin.

"Do you really think that we're left alone? That we don't get inducements to stay on the right side?" she told him with a slightly bitter voice. "It just means that we get hurt in places that aren't visible and in more private places." Neville's face softened slightly as her words sunk in.

"I'm sorry, I-"

"Glare at me, look angry!" she snapped at him angrily. "Merlin, you Gryffindor's are about a subtle as a brick! No wonder you keep ending up in detention!" Neville gave her a scowl and she looked almost amused. "That's better," she said and Neville resisted the urge to growl. "As I was saying, I need your help."

"We can give you somewhere to esc-"

"I don't need help personally," the girl said firmly. "I have my own means of escaping."

"Then why d-"

"I've told you before, let me finish!" she cut in angrily. "I hate having to ask a Gryffindor this, but needs must." She paused, as if she was trying to decide what she was going to say next. "I need you to look after my sister Daphne."

"Daphne? Daphne who?" he asked curiously and the girl sighed.

"Daphne Greengrass. Slytherin girl. Your year," the girl said in annoyance. "Surely you know her? I know she doesn't really get involved with the main gang of Slytherin girls, but surely you know her?"

Neville frowned as he allowed his mind to wander through the members of his year and a vague memory of a Slytherin girl with long blond hair like the girl in front of him came to mind.

"Yes, I know of her," he said with a frown. "What about her?"

"She needs protecting," the girl said firmly, a grim look on her face. "I want you to be prepared to do it."

"Why does she need protecting now?" he asked and a look of disgust crossed her face.

"Because 'Professor'" she held up her fingers to form quotation marks. "Amycus Carrow is looking for a good pure-blood witch to become the mother of his heir and he's looking at my sister like that." A look of disgust and dismay crossed Neville's face and the girl continued. "She wouldn't survive being his wife. He's a disgusting pervert at the best of times and being married to him…" the girl shuddered. "I don't think I'd wish that on anyone. And especially not my sister. She needs your protection."

"Merlin, is he likely to focus his attentions to other girls?" Neville asked as a look of horror crossed his face and an image of Hannah Abbot's face crossed his mind for reasons he couldn't fathom.

"Your little DA girlfriends are safe," the girl said with a look of annoyance. "Amycus wants a nice Slytherin girl who will be out of Hogwarts this year." The girl proceeded to list off the Slytherin girls in his year. "Pansy is considered far too above him in terms of status and is already set up to take Draco. Tracey Davies is capable of putting him off. Besides, Theodore Nott is interested in her. Millicent Bulstrode is actually engaged to Gregory Goyle, they're actually waiting for their families to announce it and then there's my sister, who doesn't really belong in Slytherin and she's the one Amycus has decided he wants."

"How do I know this isn't some kind of trap?" he asked suspiciously. "You haven't even told me your name."

"You don't know is this is a trap," the girl replied calmly, before giving his injuries a firm look. "But the way I see it, they really don't need any help to catch you."

"You still haven't told me your name," he said and the girl smirked. Pulling out a blank page of a book, she quickly pulled out a quill with ink and scribbled something down.

"This should answer that question," she said, before walking away. Neville pulled the book out and flipped to the page in question. Sitting on the page was a few words.

_Seeya around, lover boy, signed Astoria Greengrass._

And that was how the beginning of something bigger began, although neither Neville nor Astoria realized just how far it would develop.


End file.
